I have failed in the respect that my 'raised' language, IE English, has not been understood by dunce ass bitches that fail to understand both grammar, and syntax. If you want to participate in a forum in which your ideas matter, please create your own board. If I get kicked off of this BB, the Mods were kind enough to realize that I played by the rules.

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Philosophy, n. A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

I'm not sorry if I seem unafraid to deal with diatribes that are both juvenile and un-repentant. If the MODS are wise enough to validate membership of one who will fight obvious BS in all forms, then I'll be deleted tomorrow, and you can go back to being douches.

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Philosophy, n. A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Wow, I'm sorry. I guess I'll have to re-think everything I know and hold dear. If for any other reason, just that you have been so kind and caring about making me re-consider my previous point of view. Sorry if I assumed that logic makes sense.

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Philosophy, n. A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Impressive for a Norwegian. You obviously have an impressive grasp of the English language, even if the meaning of the word doesn't really apply in this particular case. Use definition #2 from Webster's, when you try to include it

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Philosophy, n. A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Ah, an excellent reply! It is both instructive and germane to the topic of the ONA.

In the American Black Ghetto vernacular '______ ass bitches' is a common phrase used to denote disdain. When someone uses it in all seriousness (as opposed to the mocking way I tend to use it) they tip their hand as to their social sensibilities and socio-economic pedigree.

Clearly, GillesdeRais is proudly announcing his 'racial' pride by speaking in his native tongue.

Quote:

I have failed in the respect that my 'raised' language, IE English, has not been understood by dunce ass bitches that fail to understand both grammar, and syntax.

From a grammatical point of view, this is an extremely poor sentence. Do you even know what syntax means? Are you sure English is your first language? Or, were you perhaps raised around some sort of English dialect? Ebonics perhaps?

If the management has any plans of deleting the GillesdeRais portion of this thread, please hold off until GillesdeRais has had a chance to respond. Culture and 'race' issues are part and parcel to the ONA and this could be quite instructive.

Thanks.

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I am the Devil and I am here to do the Devil's work.

Culture and 'race' issues are part and parcel to the ONA and this could be quite instructive

Great point, it reminds me of when my grandmother warned me about the evil nature of 'black folks'. The race-issues that have been brought to light in this thread don't really prove anything other than a bored white guy can sound cool. I appreciate your candor. Some day, I plan to rule this board with a Stalinesque fist. No pun intended.

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Philosophy, n. A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

Hiding behind a veil of proper grammar and syntax doesn't change the quality of your thoughts and thinking process, the lack thereof, and it's inherent weakness.

You obviously have your passionate opinions about ONA, which you are entitled to as a free person. But, the questions that should then be asked is: How did you end up with such convictions? Did these convictions of yours about the ONA come from personal experience, empirical apprehension? Or [as I assume] did they come from you reading other people's writings and opinions?

You are an example of what Fist was talking about. What opinions, convictions, and emotions you have for the ONA are other people's memes. Other people's memes which has infected your mind, which you have allowed to alter and change your own being: your own thinking, you own feelings. You are not even your own person. You are not a free thinker. Your opinions about ONA are irrelevant.

Empirical experience - that is direct physical experience - of the application of ONA Methodology; or the attempt; trumps regurgitated opinions, no matter how grammatically erudite such opinions are dressed up in. Simply because in the former, the Subject and Object are in direct contact and association of each other, whereas in the latter the Subject [you] get your ideas and information about the Object [ONA] indirectly from a opinion peddler.

Lastly, Anton Long's grammar and syntax sucks ass, but it is not the dead letter and punctuation that makes a man's thoughts worth something. It is the insights and his method of thinking that made AL what he is to the ONA. And over the 30 years or so, those insights of his and the ONA as a memetic vehicle of transmission of such thoughts, have affected influenced many people. And even many different genres of Satanism and politics.

You obviously have your passionate opinions about ONA, which you are entitled to as a free person.

Actually, it provides no value added here and I think the best we can do at this point is simply ignore it. I have yet to read anything it has posted that made any sense.

In other news...

Quote:

You are an example of what Fist was talking about. What opinions, convictions, and emotions you have for the ONA are other people's memes. Other people's memes which has infected your mind, which you have allowed to alter and change your own being: your own thinking, you own feelings. You are not even your own person.

Correct.

Raymond B. Cattell covers this to some extent in "A New Morality from Science: Beyondism." His approach is to use science to shape morality instead of relying on the revealed knowledge of morality to shape our science.

Satanism is the philosophy of the carnal and the intuitive. We should use our intuition and our passions as our guide until such time that our reason necessitates a change.

Quote:

Anton Long's grammar and syntax sucks ass...

Oh, I don't know about that. He wrote in a stream of consciousness style much like Crowley and Charles Manson. Either you get it or you don't. If you don't get it than most likely you are not operating on the same 'wavelength' and perhaps that material is not for you.

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I am the Devil and I am here to do the Devil's work.

For those of us interested in Satanism and the Left Hand Path; in the ONA-David Myatt; Church of Satan-Anton LaVey; and The Temple of Set-Mr. Michael Aquino, from an academic perspective:

Several academicians hailing from several Norwegian universities will be hosting a conference on Satanism in the Modern World, this Nov. 19-20 2009 @ Hotel Augustin, Trondheim, Norway. Fortunately a dame who is a usual here is not on the list of speakers.

For those of us with interest in the ONA and David Myatt two people will be speaking on the topic: Jacob Senholt, and George Sieg. Mr. Sieg studies directly under a Nicholas who is an academic authority on National Socialism. According to my sources Mr. Sieg has just interviewed a certain someone we know as "Anton Long" for his PhD thesis.

I will post a copy of the over view and synopsis of what will be talked about at the conference here. Hopefully it will fit:

Considerations on crucial differences in magic and philosophy among 21st century Satanic and Left-Hand Path organizations Alberto Brandi, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Dept. of Philosophy and Politics, Naples, Italy,brandi.alberto@fastwebnet.it

This paper wants, from the point of view of an historian of magic and religions, to raise the issue of what I consider a problematic identification, namely the one linking Satanism and the Left-Hand Path in both philosophy and magical practice. The enquiry of my lecture will focus on findingpossible differences in the interpretation of metaphysics and magical practice between these two traditions and therefore arising the question if Satanism as a whole can be considered as a Left- Hand Path (henceforth LHP) philosophy.

Providing a thorough definition of what Satanism and the LHP are is of course difficult, and even if fascinating such a demanding task is beyond the scope of the considerations I will present.

Therefore, to narrow down the field of research I will rely on the written documents of contemporary organizations claiming themselves to be, in different degrees, Satanic and/or belonging to the LHP, only shortly introducing the two categories.

I will mostly refer to Western contemporary organizations which have produced influential literature on the aforementioned subjects, the major ones being the Church of Satan and the Order of the Nine Angles for Atheistic and Theistic Satanism respectively, and the Temple of Set, DragonRouge and the Typhonian Order (formerly known as Typhonian OTO) for the LHP.

The questions behind my investigation therefore are: a) On which ground Satanism – as presented by such organizations – claims to belong to the Left-Hand Path; b) Which are the main differences between the mentioned Satanic organizations and the LHP organizations concerning problems likeevil, the nature of Satan and how such topics are addressed c) How these groups relate to ethics and society; d) How such organizations interpret and approach magical practice.

Following an analysis of the literature produced by the very organizations as well as critical literature, including my own researches on the field, I will present my conclusions, providing the theory that contemporary Satanism can hardly be ascribed to the LHP.

This conclusion will mostly be grounded on fundamental differences in considering the problem of evil, the ethos of members and magical practice. The analyzed Satanic organizations focus their philosophy on actual evil, materialism and antinomism interpreted as antisocial action, while theexamined LHP organizations focus mostly on self-transformation, initiatory magic and an interpretation of evil based on a spiritual plane, formulating in some cases an ethical code which doesn’t necessarily adverse common morality and social behaviour.

Jacob C. Senholt, University of Aarhus, idejcs@hum.au.dk

The Sinister Tradition: Political Esotericism & the convergence of Radical Islam, Satanism and National Socialism in the Order of the Nine Angles The Order of the Nine Angles (ONA) has been active for the last three decades, and has in recent years experienced an increased interest from followers of the so-called ‘Left Hand Path’ (LHP). Even among LHP-practitioners, that are themselves considered notorious by mainstream society, the ONA has long been infamous for its explicit combination of esoteric doctrines of ‘Traditional Satanism’ and far right National Socialist politics. The ONA has with a few exceptions received little attention by scholars in the past, but in recent years ONA-inspired activities, led by protagonist David Myatt, have managed to enter the scene of grand politics and the global War On Terror, with several foiled terror plots in Europe that can be linked to Myatt’s writings and as this paper will document, also directly to the ONA. In addition the general increase of activities and recent formation of several prolific ‘off-spring’ groups make a scholarly examination of this group both necessary and important. The ONA is unique in its overt combination of esotericism and extreme politics (initially National Socialism, but now also Radical Islamism), and several order manuscripts such as Nexion – A Guide to Sinister Strategy,describe the order’s preferred method of influencing world politics, namely the adaption of political insight roles.

This paper will present what can be identified as a certain ‘Sinister Tradition’ with specific characteristics and with ONA as the main proponent, within the general realm of the LHP and Satanism. Secondly it will examine the ONA, its origins, history and ideas, with a focus on the mostrecent developments and the relation to established groups such as the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set. Finally this paper will examine the concept of insight roles according the ONA, as well as provide concrete examples of how the order has influenced the political discourse through both National Socialism and Islam, and look at which perspectives can be gained from this on the general topic of political esotericism.

About the author:Jacob Christiansen Senholt is a BA in Science of Religion and the History of Ideas, University of Aarhus and an MA in Mysticism and Western Esotericism from the University of Amsterdam with a thesis on the Order of the Nine Angles. J. C. Senholt has for the last few years dealt extensively with the field of western esotericism and politics with papers on ariosophy, political neo-paganism, radical traditionalism and the New Right, and is currently pursuing a Ph.d. at the University of Aarhus, with a thesis on anti-modern thought and religious identity of the European New Right.

In distinguishing between rationalist and esoteric Satanism, one runs the danger of overestimating the rationalist and scientific elements of laveyan Satanism. Often when looking at LaVey's texts, it seems the very parts calling upon science and research that are most strongly involved in the pursuit of esoteric truths. LaVey's strong focus on how to manipulate one's environment is mirrored by a similar interest in how we are manipulated in everyday life. The satanic magician is but one of the intentional powers seeking influence and hiding his hands in doing so.

This paper takes a closer look at some of the hidden persuaders and hidden hands seen to manipulate man and society by LaVey.

The strange case of Ben Kadosh: A Luciferian pamphlet from 1906 and its current renaissance Per Faxneld, The Department of the History of Religions, Stockholm University, per.faxneld@rel.su.se

It is often claimed there were no systematic attempts at creating a satanic ideology before Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in 1966. However, several such examples can in fact be found, and this paper focuses on one of them: the Danish dairy salesman, alchemist, and luciferic freemason Ben Kadosh (Carl William Hansen, 1872-1936).

Kadosh came from a poor working-class background, but managed to acquire a certain level of education all the same and in his early twenties secured a job as a bookkeeper. A few years later he was initiated in the esoteric group L’Ordre Martiniste, the first of a vast number of occult societies he would join in his life. He would go on to hold around 300 (!)degrees and titles in different Masonic lodges.

In 1906, Kadosh published his pamphlet Den Ny Morgens Gry: Lucifer-Hiram: Verdensbygmesterens Genkomst (NN). This somewhat unstructured and highly eccentric text presents a type of Satanism, which remains both original and confusing to this day. The purpose of the pamphlet is stated to be the rehabilitation and spreading of the cult of Satan/Lucifer. This figure is to Kadosh synonymous with the Greek Pan and the Masonic “master builder” Hiram, the latter sometimes identified with God himself in Masonic lore.

Lucifer is here portrayed as the vessel of God’s divine power, and as the appropriate manifestation for mankind to approach the divinity through. This vessel is a demiurge in the Gnostic sense, but paradoxically still a benevolent entity.

Unlike many others with a sympathy for the Devil around the year 1900, Kadosh was unrelenting, enduring and firm in his convictions: In a national census of 1921, he stated his religious belonging to be “Luciferian”. One of Denmark’s most famous authors, Hans Scherfig, immortalised Kadosh by portraying him in his two novels Idealister (“Idealists”, 1944) and Frydenholm (1962), where a most likely slightly incorrect version of the luciferian’s religious ideas is also given in some detail.

My paper will attempt to show what some of Kadosh’s sources of inspiration were, focusing primarily on the (more or less) scholarly literature of his time concerning the history of Satan and Satanism, for instance the book Satan og Hans Kultus i Vor Tid (“Satan and His Cult in Our Time”, 1902) by Carl Kohl.

In our own time, Kadosh’s writings have enjoyed a small renaissance. A group called Danska Luciferianska Kyrkan?, basing a large part of their system on his ideas, was founded in Denmark in 199, and now has a Swedish chapter as well. The paper will thus also investigate how the teachings of Kadosh are reinterpreted in this new context, discussing how forgotten Satanists from ages past in general can be revived by a young religious milieu looking for predecessors and traditions in order to gain a firmer cultural grounding and increased legitimacy.

Michael Aquino reported in his history of The Church of Satan that in 1987 he had discovered that Anton Szandor LaVey had relied heavily on an earlier text, the pseudonymous Ragnar Redbeard’s Might Is Right, for the substance of The Satanic Bible’s “Book of Satan” and that LaVey had also appended a version of John Dee’s “Enochian Keys” to his text. Since then, the composite nature of The Satanic Bible has largely been taken for granted by scholars, though their evaluations of LaVey’s work have differed.

In a recent survey of Satanism, for example, Chris Mathews renders a harsh verdict, describing the composition of LaVey’s text as haphazard, a “hurried pastiche,” and an act of plagiarism. Mathews concludes that LaVey “stole selectively and edited lightly.”1 Aquino himself had described LaVey’s work as haphazard and asserted that LaVey was not the “true author” of the Book of Satan.2 Nevertheless, Aquino perceives The Satanic Bible as “inspired writing.”3 On his part, James R. Lewis also describes LaVey as borrowing substantially from Might is Right, claiming that LaVey only “added in a few sentences of his own.”4 Lewis does note, however, that The Satanic Bible functions at least as a kind of “quasi-scripture” for many Satanists.

Although Aquino provides a list of passages that LaVey used from Might Is Right in an appendix, neither he nor any other commentator has offered a systematic and detailed account of what LaVey took, changed, and omitted from his source text. By implication, LaVey’s editorial activity is presented as meaningless or simply evidence of his “haphazard” approach.

This paper will argue, however, that LaVey’s editing of his source material was much more than commonly portrayed and conducted in the service of his own ideological agenda. In his creative use of his source material, LaVey demonstrates the same dynamics of appropriation and innovation that Jesper Petersen generally associates with contemporary

Satanism and other movements5 but also the creative use of sources employed in other scriptural texts in the broad Western scriptural tradition, such as the use of Q and Mark by the gospels of Matthew and Luke or the use of J, E, D, and P by the authors of the Pentateuchal narrative. Thus not only the function of The Satanic Bible in the broad Satanic community but also it its mode of composition suggests that it can be considered a modern scripture. This paper will also consider why Aquino and those who have made use of his source-critical work have not attended sufficiently to LaVey’s editorial activity. In Aquino’s case, the motivation seems clear. Anything that would highlight LaVey’s creativity would potentially cast doubt on Aquino’s assertion that his Temple of Set was the more highly evolved successor movement to the Church of Satan. His unmasking of LaVey’s sources for the “Book of Satan” was a part of an overall strategy of de-legitimation rather than a neutral act of historical investigation. Mathews makes similar use of Aquino’s research to buttress his negative evaluation of contemporary Satanism. Many of the comments about the composite nature of The Satanic Bible need to be read as part of a contentious discourse both about sectarianism within the orbit of the Church of Satan and broader attempts to de-legitimate socially stigmatize Satanism in general.

What’s in a name? Theoretical and Methodological Musings on the Scholarly Use of the Term Satanism. Kennet Granholm, Åbo Akademi University, kennet.granholm@abo.fi

The Shakespeare-quote in the title of this abstract proposes that a thing will retain its essential qualities whatever it is called. In scholarly discourse, however, maintaining such a position is very problematic. “Names” do in themselves contain connotations, the number of which often depends on their relative popularity and familiarity in social contexts. The thought thatscholars would be able to remain completely unaffected by general connotations of a term, or be able to portray value-laded terms in ways which will make them be understood neutrally by the reader, is naïve. The word “cult” is a good example. From having been a sociological term for a distinct type of religiosity and religious organization, it was adopted by opponents of unorthodox alternative religion and given more or less the meaning “bad religion”. This connotation is difficult to escape, and is the reason why sociologists of religion have more or less abandoned the use of the term.

Satanism, of course, is a value-laded term which often has very negative connotations among non-scholars. When the term is brought up, it is also very common that people will have a general, and ultimately false, understanding of what is meant. Satanism will be seen as having to do with child and animal sacrifice, evil, deviance, fascism etc. even though the scholar shows that this is not the case. A situation where the term Satanism could be divorced from any pejorative connotations is difficult to imagine.

I have chosen to use the originally emic term Left-Hand Path to denote the milieu of “dark spirituality” that many Satanist philosophies and organizations are a part of. The term has the benefit of being fairly unknown to the general population, other than in occultist circles of course, and therefore lacks many of the automatic negative connotations the term Satanism brings up. However, and more importantly from a theoretical and methodological standpoint,5 Jesper Aagaard Petersen, “Introduction: Embracing Satan” in Petersen, ed., Contemporary Religious Satanism, pp. 1-24; see pp. 13f. the terms highlight different aspects. The term Satanism highlights the figure of Satan, and an increasingly dubious collection of other mythological figures that are meant to be in some way analogous to the Christian devil. The term Left-Hand Path, on the other hand (pun unintended), highlights specific discursive strategies and practices – primarily those of antinomianism and ideological individualism. It could be argued that the choice of the figure of Satan in the original Church of Satan is in itself based on an antinomian ethos. Clearly, though still conjuring up negative sentiments, the figure of Satan has become too familiar and overused to be of sufficient value in antinomian practices. When using the term Satanism, the scholar then needs to take increasingly wide and problematic leaps to conclude that figures such as the Old Norse Odin, the Hindu Shiva, or the Zoroastrian/Parsi Ahriman would have some essential similarities with Satan.

Another term I would like to discuss is “post-Satanism”. I present the term in my article in the anthology Contemporary Religious Satanism, but downplay its analytical value. I would like to change my positions somewhat. When dealing with the methodological and terminological issues that the scholarly use of the term Satanism brings up, this term is actually very useful.

It highlights both historical continuity and change in realm of “dark spirituality”, while avoiding and addressing major issues that more typologically oriented and definitive categorizations have.

Satanic Witchcraft: A Study in the Creation of a TraditionFredrik Gregorius, Malmö University, fredrikgregorius@yahoo.se

The following presentation will look into the development of witchcraft as a discourse within modern Satanism, like chaos-gnosticism, and the rhetorical function such a discourse can have for the formulation of a concept of ”traditional Satanism” as a claim of legitimacy in opposition to other forms of Satanism, especially LaVeyan.

Looking at the way witchcraft is used in contemporary esoteric forms of Satanism and related forms of Left Hand Path groups will not only illustrate the way cultural terms can be reinvented and used in a variety of ways but also how the trend to embrace of a non-symbolic approach to demonology and witchcraft is used to claim authenticity. The following presentation will argue that the trends we see today in Satanism are a reflection of a largertrend within contemporary esoteric and occult movements.

Author: Lloyd K. Keane, Ph.D.Affiliation: Carleton University (non-academic staff) Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaEmail: lloyd_keane@carleton.caTitle: Set as Dark Self An Analytical Psychological Interpretation of the Figure of Set as found in the Public Documents of theTemple of Set.

Body: This paper will begin by highlighting how the figure of Set is defined and represented in the Temple of Set’s publically available documents. In general, and at this early stage of research, the “Prince of Darkness” is seen by the author as solitary and dynamic force of psychological change and transformation. Following this initial review the paper will briefly outline Jung’s notion of the Self focusing specifically on the notion of the dark, “violent”, and numinous aspect of the archetype of the Self as well as briefly touching on how Jung viewed the figure of Satan (Jung saw Set as being an earlier version of the figure of Satan). The figure of Set can be interpreted as reflecting, to some degree, what Jungian and Post-Jungian thought refers to as the archetype of the Self. Rather than simply representing basic egoic consciousness this paper will claim that Set can be read as representing a link between consciousness and the depths of the collective unconscious. In the capacity of archetypal image, Set, as understood by the Temple of Set, is simultaneously a potential source of destructive impulses, at least form the perspective of the ego, as well as representing a means toward psychological maturation (what Jung called the process of individuation).

In this paper I will discuss the role of Tolkien related imagery used by black metal bands. Tolkien’s fictional world Middle Earth plays an important role for many black metal bands, their use of the evil powers from the catholic author’s fantasy world is fairly common in the name the bands or artists chooses as well as in their lyrics, often mixed up with satanic imagery and lyrics. For example; the infamous Norwegian Varg Vikernes, better known as his artist name Count Grishnack, from the one man band Burzum and the controversial black metal band Gorgoroth both uses names taken directly from Tolkien’s fiction. Grishnak is the name of an orc; Burzum in black speech means 'darkness' and Gorgoroth is a plateau in the land of Mordor meaning 'Great dread' in the elvish language Sindarin.

Black metal, with the evil image and the use of satanic lyrics is naturally inconsistent with Tolkien’s personal world view. In his works there are evil powers at play, but we must not forget that we’re still in a fantasy world which Tolkien described as a sub-creation, that is when an author creates a believable world. Even though Tolkien as a professor in AngloSaxon made this world realistic and impressive, partly based on his use of languages, history, legends and myths, it’s still only fiction, believable fiction but still not reality.

The aim of this paper is to explore why black metal bands have chosen Tolkien as a medium to strengthen their satanic image, and to explore the concept of evil in Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

I will also try to put together a compilation of black metal bands influenced by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. This will hopefully conceptualize in what extent Tolkien influences the black metal scene, and hopefully by analyzing the choice of names/and or lyrics that will also give me some kind of conceivable tool to try to understand why Tolkien matters to this genre of underground metal music.

In order to discuss whether different bands express different concepts and ideals drawn from Tolkien I will present material chosen from a few bands and try to compare their lyrics with the works by Tolkien, and try to understand what it is that I so alluring for the “evil” black metal bands in his works.

At the beginning of the present decade, I conducted a survey that gathered basic demographic data from 140 self-identified Satanists. My findings initially appeared in article form in 2001 under the title “Who Serves Satan? A Demographic and Ideological Profile.” This past summer, I sent out a more ambitious questionnaire to determine if and how the Satanic subculture had evolved, as well as to gather other kinds of information. To date, over 200 Satanists have completed the second survey. Though members of both samples were predominantly white males raised in Christian households, the average age of respondents rose from mid-twenties to thirty. Partly as a consequence of higher average age, the new sample exhibited more diversity – in terms of having a broader range of educational backgrounds, an increased likelihood of being a parent, and the like. Similarly, while the majority of respondents to the new survey were still broadly in the LaVeyan tradition, a far greater percentage than in the old survey professed some variety of Theistic Satanism. When contrasted with the first questionnaire, the picture that emerges from the second questionnaire could be summarized as ‘Little Nicky grows up.’

The Resurrection of a Fallen Angel. Satan in 19th Century (Counter) CultureRuben van Luijk, Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Tilburg, The Netherlands, R.B.vanluijk@uvt.nl

In the nineteenth century, substantial parts of Europe’s cultural elite turned away from Christianity. One of the more remarkable results of this attitude was a growing sympathy for Satan, who from being feared or scorned as an object of loathing, came to be celebrated by prominent Romantic poets, lauded by novelists and political activists, and honoured by historians. None of these intellectuals who sung the praise of Satan were practising Satanism in a religious sense. For this reason, they are sometimes designated as ‘Literary Satanists’ by the historians of Literature. Nevertheless, the figure of the fallen angel expressed important themes of antichristian discourse for them; themes that have exerted a profound influence on the religious Satanism of the last and present century. Each of these themes reversed and/or gave new meaning to an traditional attribute of the ‘Christian’ Satan.

We can discern three dominant thematic clusters:

- First and foremost: Satan as Rebel. In traditional Christian theology, Satan’s fall was associated with rebellion against divine authority. The philosophes and the French Revolution had given ‘rebellion’ a new, positive meaning for substantial parts of Europe’s intellectual elite. Schock already has shown how political controversies in the aftermath of the French Revolution helped to shape Literary Satanism. Satan as noble champion of political and individual freedom would remain an important theme throughout the nineteenth century.

- Secondly, Satan as a torch bearer of Science. In its avatar of the Serpent, Satan had induced Man to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The nineteenth century glorified science and the seeking of knowledge. For some, Satan came to symbolize the heroic pursuit of knowledge beyond the boundaries set by faith or tradition. Satan, Bearer of Light, thusbecame a herald of human progress.

- Lastly, Satan as patron of Sex and Nature. Traditionally, Satan and his demons were strongly associated with the vice of lust. In the Christian iconography of the devil, moreover, elements of pagan nature gods as Pan and the satyrs had been incorporated. In the nineteenth century, these attributes were revaluated in a positive way. Satan was used by some torepresent nature, vitalism, passionate love, sexuality, and femininity vis à vis a Christian heritage strongly condescending of these elements.Elements of these three clusters of meaning can be found in the work of Blake, Shelley, Byron, De Vigny, Proudhon, Bakunin, Hugo, and Michelet, among others. By the end of the nineteenth century, they had grown into a classic set of topoi that was transposed as such into the next century. In this paper, I will describe the emergence of this threefold reappraisal ofSatan and analyse the historical circumstances which contributed to its rise.“Smite him hip and thigh”: Satanism, violence and transgression

Jesper Aagaard Petersen, IAR, NTNU, aagaardp@hf.ntnu.no

Widespread discourses on Satanism associate Satan and Satanists with violence, transgression and death. Today, many commentators and agents in the mainstream media, education and social services circulate a Christian or theological model of Satanism, where Satan and Satanism is understood as an inversion of the good, the beautiful and the true, often in a secular and psychologized version connecting Satanism with delinquency, criminality and mental illness. Less often, but still prevalent, are discourses associating Satan with rebellious pride, refined taste, carnality and power in popular and subcultural contexts. In general, both associations stem from the same source, namely positive or negative interpretations of the Christian heritage.

In contrast to the mythical Satanists of these demonological models, real Satanists come in many shapes and sizes, but violence and criminal acts are extremely rare and always associated with individuals and small groups living out the mythical frame. Most organized satanic groups and influential spokespersons define Satanism as a practical way of life utilizing transgression as a deconditioning of repressive sociality, hence strengthening the individual's positive self-image through controlled antinomianism. In addition, Satanism is a religion of the self as an adversary to herd mentality and group-think; the Satanist should question all things and transgress as well as transform through art, commentary and action that which does not work. The important point is how to discern the actual violence of serial killers and marginalized teens using Satanism as an alibi from the symbolic violence of Satanists like Marilyn Manson, Boyd Rice and Anton LaVey.

In essence, modern Satanism is a stratified cultural context, where values of aesthetics, ethics and transcendence are intertwined with judgments (and meta-judgments) of taste, behavior and authority formulated by dominant and marginal voices with strategic goals in mind. What is significant here is not only the image of Satan presented, but the use to which it is put and the connections made.

Firstly, the paper will describe the dominant formulations of modern religious Satanism and their stance on violence and transgression. Here, actions transcend social boundaries to redress the balance and express the self. Secondly, I will analyze selected articulations of "symbolic violence", "aesthetic terrorism" and "transformational psychodrama" that are used by satanic groups and individuals to question and challenge the self-evident. The main focus is two central aspects of this satanic project, namely the construction of individuality, seen as a “Conscious Life Design”, and the practice of antinomianism, understood through transgression. They are interrelated and can be understood through the lens of the “aestheticization of everyday life”.

”God is caught in Hell, so it is better to believe in the Devil”: Conceptions of Satanists and sympathies for the Devil in Early Modern Sweden

Mikael Pettersson, National Graduate School of History, Department of History, Lund University, Mikael.Pettersson@hist.lu.se

The term ”Satanists” was occasionally used by early modern Swedish theologians to denote the proverbial servants of Satan. In certain contexts this usage seems to have been of a clearly derogatory character, but in others it was undoubtedly meant to imply individuals believed to be in actual league with the Devil or even to belong to a form of satanic religious cult. But were there really ”Satanists” in early modern Sweden in any meaningful sense of the word?

Through the process referred to as demonization, a strategy applied already by the medieval church, the often ambiguous supernatural entities of early modern popular culture were frequently identified with the Devil and his demons. This process did not work in only one direction, however. The Devil himself sometimes came to be endowed with traits akin to the more multifaceted nature spirits of the popular mind. Hence, one may speak of alternative traditions concerning the Devil, in which it was possible to conceive of him as a helper or a kind of familiar spirit, even though he simultaneously appears to have retained most of his adversarial role as the enemy of God. Under certain conditions people voiced quite blatant sympathies for the Devil, and even held that befriending Satan was better and wiser than praying to God. There are also several written pacts with the Devil preserved in early modern Swedish court records which – although presumably often made under quite desperate conditions – further corroborate this motif. In connection with popular magic and witchcraft, there are further hints of certain ritualistic methods for summoning the Devil. In these contexts are also expressed views and words which suggest that the Devil could be part of more or less coherent unofficial worldviews.

Such blasphemous speech and forbidden actions were, perhaps not surprisingly, often linked to individuals perceived as ”outsiders” in several respects. Not only alleged witches and sorcerers, but also people accused of thievery, robbery, whoredom, murder and other transgressions – if not apprehended frequently dwelling in the wilderness outside the local village communities – were particularly conceived of as being in league with Satan. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that they themselves, having already been marked as deviants or sinners, sometimes turned to the Devil as a kind of patron or helper of the rebellious or perhaps of those feeling unjustly treated by the community and the authorities. Such individuals, when interrogated by the courts, occasionally reported communicating with Satan, and at times even sleeping with him or magical entities in some way connected to him.

Thus, while there is no evidence of any organized or even loosely knit ”Satanism” or ”satanic cult” in early modern Sweden, one may – in certain respects – speak of the existence of a form of ”individual Satanists” and possibly a ”satanic discourse” partially outside the boundaries of established religion and the framework of learned demonology. The present study is a brief examination of the aforementioned motifs and conceptions, based primarily on a few particularly revealing court records and theological commentaries.

Angular Momentum: From Traditional to Progressive Satanism in the Order of Nine Angles. George Sieg, EXESESO (Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism), ahuramithras@gmail.com

In the last few decades, the Order of Nine Angles has become notorious in both the context of the Left-Hand Path, and radical movements, for its advocacy of human sacrifice and its apparent alignment to National Socialism and far-right terrorism, as well as the association of David Myatt (generally believed to be, pseudonymously, its leader or former leader, Anton Long) with radical Islam and the promotion of “martyrdom” (suicide) operations.

Esoterically, it has until the past year identified itself exclusively as a “Traditional” Satanism. Its membership, acknowledged to be small, has been suggested by detractors or sceptics to be nearly nonexistent.

These consistencies seem to have changed with the advent of ONA spinoffs such as the Tempel ov Blood in the United States and the Temple of THEM in Australia, both of which depart to a greater or lesser degree from the system promoted by the ONA. The Tempel ov Blood seems to retain the system, and the association with far-right extremism, but expands it in the direction of vampirism. The Temple of THEM, by contrast, encourages antinomian exploration of the extremes, rather than far-right extremism specifically, and has expanded the system into various speculative and theoretical arenas of esoteric interest.

The most significant evolution of the system, however, has occurred in a context of youthful American innovation, presenting itself as a new form of Satanism not only inspired by but officially within the affiliation of the ONA, identifying as one of its “Nexions.” This Nexion, named the “White Star Acception” and based in Oakland, California, but apparently progenating a number of daughter Nexions also in the United States, was founded by two girls in their early twenties who have coined the term “Progressive Satanism” to describe its methodology. Significantly, they openly purport to have syncretised the methods of the ONA with other work of David Myatt produced under his own name, including his pagan, apolitical “Numinous Way” and his communitarian “Reichsfolk” concept, as well as presenting an interview with Anton Long in which their innovations receive his direct approval and endorsement.

The variations introduced by the White Star Acception, however, are considerable. Its term “Acception” is derived from Freemasonry, as some of its members are also Freemasons. Masonic imagery is included in the initiation rites of the Acception, along with the use of Hebrew terms and the designation of profane, non-Satanic persons as “goyim.” This use of Judaeo-Masonic imagery is not merely an aesthetic departure from the Traditional Satanism of the ONA: the WSA repudiates biological racism. One of its founders is half Cambodian, and both Latino. Eschewing folkish National Socialism, the WSA promotes a “sinister tribalism” bearing more in common with gang culture, also an interest of its founders, whose rites include not only human culling, but gang-style initiations requiring assault, rape, theft, and other criminally antinomian acts. According to their own claims, however, the most “Progressive” aspect of their Satanism is its emphasis on the “sinister feminine,” and they maintain that despite considerable differences, their system aims at the grand “aeonic” goal of Galatic Imperium which is the ultimate aim of the ONA.

The Making of Satanic Collective Identities in PolandRafal Smoczynski, Polish Academy of Sciences, rafalsmoczynski@yahoo.com

While there have been produced many studies on the role of various interest groups in stirring anti-satanic moral panics there is a little systematic knowledge on the Satanic folk devils’ attempts to reject stigmatization, and consequently there is a lack of elaborations explaininghow this “fighting back strategy” shapes the collective identities of Satanists. The proposed paper seeks to contribute to both moral panics scholarship and the studies on Satanism in the modern world and examines the non-passive role of the satanic folk devils’ discourses inPoland after 1990.

From the discourse theory perspective (as elaborated by Laclau and Mouffe) that the very possibility of society is conditioned by its intrinsic antagonism the proposed paper focuses on the discursive construction of satanic collective identities in the context of the anti-new religious movements moral panic in Poland. Satanists’ discursive practices are meant as ideological articulations that organize the field of intelligibility of collective identities and social interactions. This insight is founded on the social ontological principle formulated by Gramsci who claimed that ideology resonates with people, converting individuals into groups, provides them with the sense of the common interests and introduces interpretative schemes for grasping the meaning of social reality.

Applying discourse theory approach may be of particular value when we consider the present scholarship on moral panics which shows that the original model of this concept was formulated in a homogenous moral culture of the 1960s and therefore constrained the analysis on active role of the folk devils. Later formulations asserted that model should pay more attention to the interactions between moral panics entrepreneurs and folk devils’ discursive strategies who try to overcome stigmatization. The proposed paper attempts to develop these insights and analyze how in a context of growing functional differentiation of Polish society the collective identities, legitimacy strategies and variety of emancipatory discourses were contested and negotiated among the Satanists.

Additionally, the proposed paper asserts that the emergence of satanic collective identities in Poland in their empirical variety was partly conditioned by the state of anomie during the period of social change in the post-communist country. The state of anomie has revealed itselfas a dislocation in which existing narrative frameworks have lost their efficiency in providing ideological legitimacies for the subject positions. The proposed paper will attempt to show how satanic discourses have generated re-articulation strategies that aimed at suturing effects of a dislocation. In doing so it is important to delimit the field of emergence of the Satanists’ ideology which functioned as a surface of inscription for collective identities. While establishing the hegemonic nodal points which have been resonating with the Polish Satanists the stress will be put especially on emancipatory themes which seemingly functioned as crucial signifiers in the Polish context. While satanic discourses have become globalized there are considerable differences in the structures of discourses and social interactions within the satanic communities in the contemporary world, thus exploring the meaning of local peculiarities remains essential in this field.

I did read it and it was fairly interesting, even if the information itself was a bit brief. It shows what goes on in general Satanism and how outsiders perceive it. At the same time it shows that what was (or is) not taken too serious by many, is having a larger impact than expected.